


Photo Booth

by Msgay



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, F/F, First Dates, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Shiraz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 13:05:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19318789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Msgay/pseuds/Msgay
Summary: Bernie and Serena meet by a photo booth. They both want more and they both don't know how to ask for a woman's number. They will soon be working in the same hospital...One shot meet-cute.





	Photo Booth

**Author's Note:**

> Before you say this isn't plausible, this is based on a true story. :P I just adapted it to Bernie and Serena. 
> 
> Once again, not a native speaker and I don't have anyone to proof read my stuff, so I am sure I missed something. apologies in advance.

Bernie was late. She wasn’t sure how but it was happening more and more. It was almost as if she was having time lapses; one minute it clock says 7:10 and then she is running out the door while still putting on her shoes because it is already 8:05.

It was Bernie’s first day at the hospital, she had an HR meeting at 9. She drove fast, gripping the wheel urging the car to go faster, to make those turns tighter. She parked and rushed inside, she didn’t want to look like she ran but she was considering running. She came to a sudden halt, didn’t the email say something about a photo? She fumbled through her pockets to find her phone and then checked her email. She was, sadly, correct. The email mentioned their card access machine was malfunctioning and requested the newcomers to bring a recent document size photo. Bernie panicked, _“Where am I going to get a photo now??”_ She looked around and ventured asking a security guard for help. He sent her to a nearby metro station and sure enough, there was an old coin-operated photo booth. Bernie didn’t have any coins and asked the newsagent to change her bill, but he told her only if she bought £5 worth of newspapers or magazines. Even more stressed, she went to a juice trolley and bought a big smoothie.

Bernie got inside the photo booth and closed the curtain. She set down her things and inserted the coins. The lights got brighter and she could see herself in front of her, she looked stressed, old and tired. What a blow to the ego first thing in the morning. She snapped out of it, combed her hair quickly with her hands and pressed the button indicating she was ready for her photos. A series of disaster photos followed: she had her eyes closed; one eye closed; both almost closed… the screen indicated she only had another turn, so she opened her eyes wide and tried not to blink. The screen then told her to wait outside for her photos and to leave the curtain open. She groaned when she saw the time. She could still make it. Maybe. She stood outside the booth, waiting for the prints with her arms crossed for warmth.

With people buzzing past her from left and right, some occasional bumps that made her double check her pockets, she wondered if this life-changing decision had been the right decision; was it nerves making her question it or was this regret seeping in until it took over Bernie’s life once more?

She needed those prints to hurry up. She had fourteen minutes left. She glared at the little slot where the photos were supposed to come out from. She was weighing the pros and cons of leaving: she would be on time versus some random person having photos where she looks like a psycho. She sighed and hugged herself, she was staying.

“Is it broken?” A rich voice asked behind her. Bernie didn’t turn, she was staring at the slot willing it to give her the photos.

“Dunno. It let me take the photos but now it’s been ages and no prints.”

The machine started sputtering, Bernie insulted it with gusto.

“No! no, no, no, no! Don’t you dare, you evil fuck! I need those photos now!” She was about to- “don’t kick it!” The woman said quickly. Bernie turned to the woman now standing next to her. She was surprised at the woman’s beauty, disarmed by her smile. Said smile widened.

“I need photos too, so please don’t wreck the machine.” Bernie gave her a chuckle.

“Fine. But once we have our photos…” She waved her finger in a mock menacing way.

“We will burn it with fire, as the kids say.” They laughed.

The booth started humming loudly but still no photos.

“I can’t believe I am going to be late on my first day…” Bernie whispered. Serena perked up at those words.

“Hey! It’s my first day too. Not?... Holby Hospital?...”

“Yes, actually…”

They introduced themselves and shook hands. The booth went completely silent. While still holding hands they both gave it worried looks.

“Do you think anyone else forgot their photos?”

“Doubt it. We are the only two idiots who are late due to a phone booth gone cactus.” Serena pretended to be offended. “Who are you calling an idiot?” Bernie chuckled. “I merely like to sleep and I skim read when I am sleepy.”

“A doctor who likes to sleep?... Are you a masochist?”

“Ha-” Serena was about to say more when the booth at last spit out the photos.

“My psycho photos!” Bernie beamed. She grabbed the rectangle and blew on it to help it dry.

“I’m sorry. Psycho… photos?” Bernie grinned. “Tell you on our way to the hospital. Go and take our photos.”

“You’re waiting for me?” Serena seemed genuinely surprised.

“Of course. Never leave a man behind and all that.” Serena cleared her throat and entered the booth.

“If you think I am leaving my very expensive coffee for you to hold…” Bernie honked, behind the curtain Serena wished that could be her new ringtone.

“Damn! Plan foiled!”

While Serena took her photos Bernie sent a quick email to HR warning them she and Serena would be a bit late. She heard the sounds from the cabin and realised Serena was almost done, she hadn’t needed all four attempts – of course not, she was gorgeous, sure to be perfect in every photo. _Huh, where did that thought come from?_

“Now we wait.” Serena said as she stepped out.

They got into friendly banter and visibly relaxed. Serena’s photos took just as long as Bernie’s however this time they both felt it was too fast. They walked back to the hospital chatting and laughing, each secretly memorising the other’s facial expressions to daydream about later. Bernie stopped walking.

“My photos!!!” She panicked, looked around on the floor, checked her purse frantically.

“What?”

“My photos! I lost my photos!”

“Wha- HOW?”

“It’s a gift, Serena. I lose everything. I need to go back!” She sounded frantic.

“Of course, to take new pho-“

“NO! Nobody can have my psycho photos! I look fucking insane, Serena, like a psychopath who hasn’t blinked in years!” She looked back to the route they had taken. “Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

Before Serena could reply, she was off. Serena stood in the middle of the parking lot watching her new attractive friend sprint a few meters and then start gently pushing people away so she could check where they were stepping. Perhaps this gorgeous woman was just crazy, she mused as Bernie continued to move further away always leaning down. A few seconds later Bernie screamed “AHA!”. Serena could barely see her but spotted a blonde blur waving one hand. Bernie jogged back while wiping the photos on her coat.

“Got ‘em!” Serena found it all entertaining, she was also super curious about these photos.

“Can I see the famous psycho photos?” Bernie hesitated. Did she want to show bad photos to someone she was interested in (that much was clear to her already), to someone more beautiful than her, someone out of her league? She checked her ego. _Relationships of any kind only work with honesty and acceptance for who people are._ She sighed and nodded. She handed her paper and briefly explained the closed eyes issue with the previous photos. Serena laughed.

“It’s not that bad, Bernie. Seriously, I was expecting a manic or a scary look; you look like a rabbit caught in the headlights, that’s all.”

“Let’s see yours then.” Now it was Serena’s turn to hesitate. Her photos were fine for HR but to anyone who knew her there was no way they wouldn’t recognise her happy glance towards the booth’s curtains where Bernie had stood. She handed them to Bernie and started talking really fast about their welcome day. Bernie was speechless, Serena looked stunning, almost radiant. She briefly considered taking a photo with her phone but quickly dismissed that as creepy.

Finally at Holby Hospital, Noelle from HR came down to greet them. Serena had a smooth justification on the tip of her tongue when Noelle thanked Bernie for her email.

“You warned them I was late too?” Serena gasped. Bernie squinted. “Of course.” As Serena continued to stare she joked “What? Did you have a lot backstabbing in med school or something?” She covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.”

Serena smiled. “Don’t apologise, ex-husband trauma, that is all. Thank you for letting them know.” She eyed Bernie as if making a decision. “All for female solidarity, am I right?” Luckily Bernie still had her hand close to her mouth and covered it again, muffling the joke and just nodded her agreement.

They were led through long corridors to a meeting room full of newcomers. There were no seats left but a man their age got up and gave Serena his.

“Of course.” Mumbled Bernie as she leaned against one of the windows. Serena took the offer with grace but was sorry not to be nearer to Bernie. During the remainder of the presentation they kept exchanging glances, smiled and pulled faces at the boring bits. About thirty minutes later several women in suits with clipboards entered the room.

“Please join my colleague when you hear your name.” Noelle announced. “They will take you to your departments.”

Thus Serena and Bernie went their separate ways, both sad to see the other go.

“Now I will never see her again…”

“When I finally meet someone…”

 

The next day after her second altercation with Ric. Bernie decided to eat her sandwich in a park close by. She took a few bites angrily followed by a deep breath. Then she spotted Serena sitting alone in a bench across from her. She leapt out of her seat and sprinted, her mood much improved. Serena seemed lost in her thoughts and didn’t register Bernie approaching.

“Are you waiting for your photos?”

Just like that the light in Serena’s eyes and heart was back. Bernie was grinning so hard she felt like even her ears were pulled back. Serena couldn’t speak, she just smiled and gestured for Bernie to sit next to her making sure she wasn’t too far. They were both quickly thinking how to ask the other one out, or at least for a phone number.

“How was your first day?”

They visibly relaxed and talked like they had done so everyday of their lives. Some thirty minutes later they were paged and fretted mentally over ways to get a phone number these days.

“I-I’ll… probably have lunch here tomorrow around the same time…” Bernie risked. “Un-unless I am stuck in surgery, of course.” Serena beamed.

“Perhaps we could exchange numbers in case one of us is late?” Serena wondered who she managed to sound so casual when her heart was a bouncy ball inside her ribcage.

Over the next three days they shared coffee, snacks and sandwiches in the park, always reluctant to part.

Thursday night Bernie rehearsed suggesting a drink or dinner in front of a mirror. Serena had raved several times about Shiraz and Bernie’s online searches found a few spots that looked nice. Should she aim for friendly? That risked them joining countless others at Albie’s. She really didn’t want to see anyone else giving Serena their seat with a grin.

Friday morning Serena had decided it was more than time to be brave. She had asked women out before and while she had been nervous doing so, nothing compared to the rollercoaster her heart and stomach were going through.

At lunch that Friday they were both so nervous they failed to realise they were both much quieter than usual. Sooner than they hoped the dreaded beep alerted them it was ‘make it or break it’ time.

“You drink?” Serena raised an eyebrow. “I mean, how about a drink? Sometime. With me. Together. A bar…. Hmm. Shiraz? I-I drink-” Serena decided to come to the rescue.

“I am off at 5 today. I’d love a nice Shiraz.” She just knew her surgery would go well; her whole week had led to this.

“Great! Ahem, great.”

Walking back they decided where to go and Bernie wanted to skip like she used to as a child, when was the last time she felt so light?

Their shifts both dragged and flew by. The bar Bernie picked was reasonably quiet and spacious. Serena chose a booth hoping the wine would help her scoot closer to Bernie. Bernie had chosen some safe topics to discuss on a first date when you aren’t sure if it was a date. _Do straight people have this type of uncertainty too_ , she wondered. When their drinks arrived Serena gushed once more about the wonders of Shiraz. Bernie leaned back in awe of watching her crush beam and talk passionately about something she loved. Why do so many men complain women talk too much, she could do this everyday. She took a sneak peek at the scribbled notes on her palms; she had written down a few questions in the locker room in case her nerves took over.

“When did you first try Shiraz?”

Serena was delighted to tell her about a miserable trip to Italy with Edward where Shiraz had saved her. That got them into the topic of travel and they were off. They laughed and laughed, both now considering this a date and it was going wonderfully.

“I once ran away to Paris for a romantic weekend.”

“With Edward.”

“God, no. That man thinks romance is buying flowers and getting a blow job.” Bernie coughed and spluttered her wine.

“Sorry.” Serena decided to be brave. “No, it was with a woman I dated before I met Edward. Hannah was in my first year.” She glanced at Bernie to gauge her reaction and saw unbridled happiness and desire. She completely forgot what she was saying and glanced at Bernie’s lips, then back at Bernie’s eyes.

“Is that what Serena Campbell considers romantic? A weekend getaway with wine and cheese?” Bernie stared at Serena intently. Serena knew when she was being flirted with.

“Wine, cheese… a big bed.” She looked coy and didn’t notice Bernie moving closer to her. Serena looked up just in time to see Bernie lean down and kiss her. Serena hummed and kissed her back. They kissed until they were breathless and smiled, satisfied, at each other.

“If you keep kissing me like that, who needs Paris?” Bernie laughed giving Serena access to her neck which she kissed and nibbled. Bernie moaned.

I th-think we could still use a big bed…”

“My place is closer.” It wasn’t like Serena hadn’t checked.

They paid and walked to the nearest taxi, hand in hand towards their future.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was how I met my ex, after we moved in together we had our photo booth photos on a nightstand with friends wondering why we had such a bad photo of me on display... and yes, I did drop mine and found them on the street right after. 
> 
> A male friend of mine went on dates and social gatherings with lists of questions and conversation topics. He is happily married, almost 40 and still finds the notes helpful. I don't recommend writing on your hands as he used to though...


End file.
